An American National Standard
Designation: D 6138 – 07
Standard Test Method for
Determination of Corrosion-Preventive Properties of
Lubricating Greases Under Dynamic Wet Conditions (Emcor
Test)1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 6138; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope*
1.1 This test method covers the determination of corrosion-
preventive properties of greases using grease- lubricated ball
bearings under dynamic wet conditions.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information
only.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards: 2
D 217 Test Methods for Cone Penetration of Lubricating
Grease
D 665 Test Method for Rust-Preventing Characteristics of
Inhibited Mineral Oil in the Presence of Water
D 1193 Specification for Reagent Water
2.2 ISO Standards:3
ISO 15 Rolling bearings - Radial bearings - Boundary
dimensions - General plan
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D02 on
Petroleum Products and Lubricants and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
D02.G0.06 on Functional Tests - Contamination.
Current edition approved July 1, 2007. Published August 2007. Originally
approved in 1997. Last previous edition approved in 2003 as D 6138–03.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website.
3
Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
1
ISO 3696 Water for analytical laboratory use - Specifica-
tions and test methods
ISO 7120 Petroleum products and lubricants - Petroleum
oils and other fluids - Determination of rust-preventing
characteristics in the presence of water
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 lubricating grease, n—a semifluid to solid product of
a thickener in a liquid lubricant.
3.1.1.1 Discussion—The dispersion of the thickener forms a
two-phase system and immobilizes the liquid lubricant by
surface tension and other physical forces. Other ingredients are
commonly included to impart special properties. D 217
3.1.2 thickener, n—in lubricating grease, a substance com-
posed of finely-divided particles dispersed in a liquid lubricant
to form the product’s structure.
3.1.2.1 Discussion—The thickeners can be fibers (such as
various metallic soaps) or plates or spheres (such as certain
non-soap thickener), which are insoluble or, at most, only very
slightly soluble in the liquid lubricant. The general require-
ments are that the solid particles be extremely small, uniformly
dispersed, and capable of forming a relatively stable, gel-like
structure with the liquid lubricant. D 217
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 corrosion, n—red rust or black spots on the race.
3.2.1.1 Discussion—any stain through which the underlying
metal surface is still visible shall be ignored.
4. Summary of Test Method
4.1 New, cleaned, and lubricated bearings are tested par-
tially immersed in water (distilled, synthetic sea water, or
sodium chloride solution) under no applied load at a speed of
83 6 5 rpm in a predetermined sequence of running and
 D 6138 – 07
stopping for a period of approximately one week. After
cleaning, the bearing rings are examined and rated according to
the degree of corrosion.
5. Significance and Use
5.1 This test method is used to assess the ability of grease to
prevent corrosion in rolling bearings operated in the presence
of distilled water, sodium chloride solution, or synthetic sea
water. It is used for development and specification purposes.
6. Apparatus
6.1 Test Bearings—Use a double row self-aligning ball
bearing (30 by 72 by 19 mm), conforming to 1306 K of
ISO 15, with a steel cage.4 In cases of dispute, the SKF bearing
specified in Footnote 5 shall be used as the referee bearing.
6.2 SKF TMG/Emcor Test Machine, see Annex A1 for
description.
6.3 Dentist’s Mirror, non-magnifying.
6.4 Graduated Pipette or Syringe, capable of measuring 20
6 1 mL water.
6.5 Oven, capable of maintaining 90 6 2°C.
7. Reagents
7.1 Purity of Reagents—Reagent grade chemicals shall be
used in all tests. Unless otherwise indicated, it is intended that
all reagents shall conform to the specifications of the Commit-
tee on Analytical Reagents of the American Chemical Society,
where such specifications are available.5 Other grades may be
used, provided it is first ascertained that the reagent is of
sufficiently high purity to permit its use without lessening the
accuracy of the determination.
7.2 Purity of Water—Unless otherwise indicated, references
to water shall be understood to mean reagent water as defined
by Grade 2 of ISO 3696.
7.3 Synthetic Sea Water—If required, as specified in Speci-
fication D 665, and ISO 7120.
7.4 Sodium Chloride Solution—a 0.5-mol/L solution of
sodium chloride prepared using water conforming to Grade 2
of ISO 3696, at a pH of 8.0 to 8.2 adjusted by titration with
sodium hydroxide solution.
NOTE 1—Other water types, such as that specified in Specification
D 1193, Type III, can be used in this test method, although the precision
when using other water types has not been determined. It is recommended
that the pH of the other water types is determined before use.
7.5 Isopropyl Alcohol—(Warning—Flammable. Poison.
Causes burns. Vapor extremely irritating. May be fatal if
swallowed. Harmful if inhaled.)
7.6 Ammonium Hydroxide—(Warning—Flammable. Poi-
son. Causes burns. Vapor extremely irritating. May be fatal if
swallowed. Harmful if inhaled.)
4
1306 K steel caged bearing manufactured by NTN and DKF may be used;
however, precision had only been evaluated using SKF 1306 K/236 725 bearings.
5
Reagent Chemicals, American Chemical Society Specifications , American
Chemical Society, Washington, DC. For suggestions on the testing of reagents not
listed by the American Chemical Society, see Analar Standards for Laboratory
Chemicals, BDH Ltd., Poole, Dorset, U.K., and the United States Pharmacopeia
and National Formulary, U.S. Pharmacopeil Convention, Inc. (USPC), Rockville,
MD.
2
7.7 Solvent Rinse Solution, of the following composition by
volume:
7.7.1 90 % Isopropyl alcohol.
7.7.2 9 % Distilled water.
7.7.3 1 % Ammonium hydroxide, 3.2-mol/L concentration.
(Warning—Flammable. Poison. Causes burns. Vapor ex-
tremely irritating. May be fatal if swallowed. Harmful if
inhaled.)
7.8 Mineral Spirit, also known as Stoddard Solvent, reagent
grade. (Warning—Combustible. Vapor Harmful.)
8. Preparation of Bearings
8.1 Examine the test bearings carefully and select only
bearings that have outer rings and balls entirely free of
corrosion. During the bearing preparation, handle the bearings
with tongs or protective gloves. Do not touch the bearings with
bare fingers at any time. Use two new bearings for each grease
being tested.
8.2 Number bearings on the outside diameter of the outer
ring, but do not use chemical etching. One method to number
the bearings is with an electric pen, which should be grounded
on the outer ring surface being marked.
8.3 Wash the selected bearings thoroughly in hot (50 to
65°C) mineral spirits (Warning—see 7.8) to remove the rust
preventive. To ensure complete removal, subject the bearing to
a second wash in fresh hot mineral spirits. (Warning—The
washing temperatures specified are considerably above the
flash point of the solvent. Accordingly, the washing operation
should be carried out in a well-ventilated hood where no
ignition source is present.)
8.4 Transfer bearings to the solvent rinse solution
(Warning—see 7.7.3) to remove any mineral spirits which
may be present. Rinse each bearing and slowly rotate one ring
relative to the other ring in fresh hot (65 65°C) solvent rinse
solution. Fresh rinse solution is used to avoid the selective
evaporation of the components at the rinse temperature.
NOTE 2—Care must be taken when handling bearings in the hot rinse
solution to avoid burns. Tongs and heat resistant gloves are recommended.
8.5 Remove each bearing from the solvent rinse solution
and place on filter paper to drain. After draining, dry the
bearing in an oven at 90 6 2°C for 15 to 30 min.
8.6 Permit the bearing to cool to room temperature and
reexamine the surfaces to ensure that corrosion-free bearings
have been selected. (Exercise care when handling the bearing
to avoid rotating one ring relative to the other ring after
cleaning and drying.)
8.6.1 Inspect the outer ring tracks. (Fig. 1 illustrates the area
to be inspected.) If etch spots or corrosion are evident, reject
the bearing. A dentist’s mirror can be helpful for inspection
purposes.
9. Procedure
9.1 Prepare the apparatus by removing all traces of grease
from the previous tests by wiping the plummer blocks. Wash
the plummer blocks with the solvent rinse solution followed by
water. Dry thoroughly using a lint-free cloth.
9.2 Distribute 10 g 6 0.1 g of the grease evenly in each test
bearing using a spatula or bearing packer. Take care to avoid
 D 6138 – 07
FIG. 1 Partial Outer Ring of Double-Row Self-Aligning Bearing
the inclusion of air bubbles. Rotate the outer ring slightly with
a gloved hand to assist distribution. Smear all the external
surfaces of the bearing with additional grease.
9.3 Prepare two bearings for each grease to be tested. Each
pair of bearings is used for one test.
9.4 Place the adapter sleeves, bearings, and V-ring seals in
position on the shaft and finger-tighten the sleeve nuts.
9.5 Place the shaft complete with greased bearings in
position in the test rig, taking care that the bearings are
centered in the plummer blocks.
9.6 Place the top halves of the plummer block in position
and finger-tighten the locking screws.
9.7 Press the V-ring seals up against the plummer blocks
using the special tool supplied with the test machine.
9.8 Run the test rig for 30 6 5 min at 83 6 5 rpm
immediately after assembly to distribute the grease evenly.
9.9 Without delay, remove the top halves of the plummer
blocks and introduce 10 mL of distilled water, synthetic sea
water or sodium chloride solution into each side of each
plummer block (a total of 20 6 1 mL) using a pipette or
syringe. Refit top halves of plummer blocks and finger-tighten
the locking screws.
NOTE 3—Although the test can be run with other user-defined solutions,
the precision limits described in Section 12 apply only to tests conducted
with reagents described in Section 7.
9.10 Without delay, operate the test rig according to the
following schedule:
9.10.1 Run 8 h 6 10 min, stop, allow to stand 16 h 6 10
min;
9.10.2 Run 8 h 6 10 min, stop, allow to stand 16 h 6 10
min;
9.10.3 Run 8 h 6 10 min, stop, allow to stand 108 h 6 2 h.
9.11 Immediately following the time schedule (9.10), re-
move the top halves of the plummer blocks. Lift the shaft and
bearings on to a suitable support on the work bench. Unscrew
the sleeve nuts one or two revolutions. Tap the bearings lightly
to free them, then pull bearings, sleeves, and seals off the shaft.
9.12 Dismantle the bearings for inspection by prying balls
out of the cage pockets until the outer ring can be removed.
9.13 Wash the outer rings in the solvent rinse solution and
dry, using a lint-free cloth. Examine immediately.
10. Rating Procedure
10.1 Visually examine the outer ring track area for rust or
etch spots, without the aid of any optical adjuncts, and evaluate
3
TABLE 1 Corrosion Classifications
NOTE—Under certain circumstances a pair of parallel bands may be
observed, the color of which changes with viewing angle; do not confuse
these bands with corrosion which appears black when viewed from all
angles.
Rating Designation Description
0 no corrosion no corrosion
1 trace no more than three spots of corrosion,
none of which has a diameter larger
than 1 mm
2 light small areas of corrosion covering up to
1 % of the surface
3 moderate areas of corrosion covering between 1
and 5 % of the surface
4 heavy areas of corrosion covering between 5
and 10 % of the surface
5 severe areas of corrosion covering more than
10 % of the surface
as described in Table 1. Fig. 1 illustrates the area to be
examined. Fig. 2 illustrates examples intended to assist in the
assessment of the degree of corrosion. Ignore any staining
through which the underlying metal surface is clearly visible.
11. Report
11.1 Report the degree of corrosion and the type of water
solution used for the test in accordance with one of the
classifications and descriptions in Table 1. If the two ratings
agree within the precision given for repeatability, report the
two figures, otherwise make two further determinations.
NOTE 4—To assist in estimating percentage corrosion area, a transpar-
ent grid divided into suitable squares can be used.
12. Precision and Bias
12.1 Precision—The precision of this test method, as deter-
mined by statistical examination of interlaboratory results, is as
follows:
12.1.1 Repeatability—The difference between successive
test results, obtained by the same operator with the same
apparatus under constant operating conditions on identical test
material, in the normal and correct operation of the test
method, would exceed the values shown in Table 2 only in one
case in twenty.
12.1.2 Reproducibility—The difference between two single
and independent results, obtained by different operators work-
ing in different laboratories on nominally identical test mate-
rial, in the normal and correct operation of the test method,
would exceed the values shown in Table 2 only in one case in
twenty.
NOTE 5—The precision is based on that adopted by the ISO committee
from the IP Precision Evaluation Panel reports issued on June 27, 1979
and January 28, 1980, for the IP 220 round robin performed in 1965. A
copy of these reports is available from ASTM Headquarters.6
12.2 Bias—The procedure for determining the corrosion
preventive properties of grease has no bias because the value of
corrosion is defined only in terms of this test method.
6
Supporting data have been filed at ASTM International Headquarters and may
be obtained by requesting Research Report RR: D02-1417.
 D 6138 – 07
TABLE 2 Precision Values
Test Fluid Repeatability Reproducibility
Water as specified in 7.2 1 1
Synthetic sea water as specified in 7.3 1 2
Sodium chloride solution as specified in 7.4 1 2

13. Keywords
13.1 corrosion; Emcor test; lubricating grease; rust

FIG. 2 Various Ratings Illustrating Degree of Corrosion

ANNEX

(Mandatory Information)

A1. APPARATUS

A1.1 Dynamic Antirust Test Rigs—Fig. A1.1 shows part of
a standard rig (Drawing No. SKF 1516600) which is capable of
accommodating up to eight self-aligning ball bearings fitted
with adapter sleeves and sleeve nuts (3) of polyamide plastic.
The bearings (2) are located in plummer blocks (1) (SKF SN
507) which, in the standard rig are polyamide plastic, accord-
ing to drawing number SKF 720315. The rig is mounted on a
mechanical plate (6), approximately 275 by 985 mm by 10
mm.The shaft (4), 25 mm in diameter, is coated with polya-
mide plastic. Two V-ring seals (5) per plummer block are
required, together with a tool (7) for correct positioning of the
seals.7
A1.2 Electric Motor—Use any suitable type of electric
motor. The motor shall be fitted with reduction gear and
flexible coupling to drive the shaft directly at 83 6 5 rpm.
7
The SKF designation is an example of suitable products available commer-
cially. The SKF drawing is available from SKF USA, Inc., 1100 First Ave, King of
Prussia, PA 19406.

4
 D 6138 – 07

FIG. A1.1 Suitable Test Rig

A1.3 General—A stand to hold the shaft on the work bench

is also required and an automatic timing device is recom-
mended.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

Subcommittee D02.G0 has identified the location of selected changes to this standard since the last issue
(D 6138–03) that may impact the use of this standard.

(1) Revised 6.4, 9.2, and 9.9. (2) Added Note 3.

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